Investment in Supply Chain Visibility Saves Costs

A risk-based approach to monitoring investigational medicinal products can help pharmaceutical companies improve supply chain efficiency, but to do this without compromising quality relies on fast access to comprehensive shipment data.

Using TSS' Cloud temperature monitoring solution CCIS and data loggers, GlaxoSmithKline has saved £4m annually.

Q: What does GSK’s risk-based approach to monitoring investigational medicinal products (IMP) entail, and why did you adopt it?

Director of supply chain logistics and IMP at GSKRob Montague said: "The regulators involved in EU good distribution practice (GDP), like many regulatory bodies, continue to evolve their thinking in the temperature monitoring and product exposure space. GSK has chosen to focus on quality for the patient as a key driver.

"Many companies apply the term 'risk-based approach’ to their decision not to monitor products in transit in certain lanes or at certain times of the year. At GSK, we’ve demonstrated that the vagaries of transportation can cause amazing excursions when logic dictates the shipment should be at low risk."